Cane-cutter.



L. H. BREAUD.

CANE CUTTER. "APPLICATION FILE-D 21:13.23, 1909.

' Patented Oct. 12,1909.

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witnesses f LOUIS H. BREAUD, 0F 'II-IIBODAUX, LOUISIANA.

CANE-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

Application filed February 23, 1909. Serial No. 479,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs H. BREAUD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Thibodaux, in the parish of Lafourche and State ofLouisiana, have invented a new and useful Cane-Cutter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has relation to cane cutters, and it consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of its parts, as hereinafter shownand described.

The object of the invention is to provide an implement of the characterindicated which is adapted to cut the cane close to or in the ground,and leave the cane thus cut in windrows, with the severed ends on thesoil and covered by the foliage of adjacent stalks, whereby the severedends are protected against excessive bleeding, and the stalks are alsoprotected against frost, and the sap against fermentation and souring.

By providing an implement which operates upon the cane in the mannerindicated it is possible to cut the cane fast enough, and leave itcovered sufficiently to prevent excessive loss by freezing followingthawing; as it is possible to leave the cane in safety in the field inwindrows as placed by the machine until the grinding mill is ready forits reception.

A further object of the invention is to provide an implement of thecharacter indicated which will sever the cane stalks from the stubble bya moving contact of the edge of the-disks against the standing cane,thus preventing splitting or uprooting of stalks, which would be theresult if the disks were not rotated as indicated. The shafts whichcarry the disks extend to within close proximity of the ground, and havepositive driving means, and the disks cut the stalks at a greater rateof speed than the rate of travel of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an implement of thecharacter indicated, a pair of rotating cutting disks, each of which ispositively operated from a ground wheel, but the said disks areindependently operated with relation to each other; that is to say, thatin so far as their operation is concerned, each disk is positivelyconnected with one of the ground wheels of the implement, but there isno positive connection between the disks, whereby the operation of onedisk depends upon the operation of the other. By providing such anarrangement it will be seen that the implement may be readily turned,and also should it pass over uneven ground and one of the disk-operatingwheels elevate above the ground, excessive strain will not be imposedthereby upon the mechanism and supports connected with the other disksto accomplish the cutting of the cane stalks.

A further object of the invention is to provide an implement of thecharacter indicated which will shave stalks during the process ofcultivation as low as may be desired without off-bearing, or withoutuproot ing the stubble.

A further object of the invention is'to provide, in an implement of thecharacter indicated, a rigid forward frame mounted upon two short axles,to which the forward wheels are rigidly fastened, and a back truck,supported by two wheels of such diameter as to allow short turning ofthe machine on head land, these latter wheels running loose on shortaxles, with means for adjusting the said axles vertically to pitch thedisks at a proper angle to the surface of the ground.

While the machine is especially adapted to be drawn by draft animals, itwill operate with equal facility if drawn by an en gine, or other motivepower.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a top plan View of the cutter.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, with parts broken away. Fig. 3is a front elevation of the cutter, with parts removed and parts saidbar A is pivotally connected with the under the forward ends of the beam1, and

are held in parallel relation thereto by the depending standards 13 andthe lower end portions of the parallel arch members 14. Thills or othersuitable draft means (said thills being indicated at 15) are connectedwith the forward ends of the short beams 12. The upright portions of thearch members 14 are provided with the outwardly disposed shoulders 16,and to the lower ends of the said arch members 14 the plates 17 areattached, which plates are provided with sleeves 18, in which areslidably mounted the bearings 19. The bearings 19 are provided with theflanges 20 which retain the said bearings against rotation in thesleeves 18. The plates 17, sleeves 18 and bearings 19 are located underthe outwardly disposed shoulders 16 of the arch members 14. Stub axles21 are journaled for rotation in the bearings 22, which are mountedagainst the lower edges of the short beams 12. To the outer end of eachof the axles 21 is fixed a traction wheel 23. The inner ends of theaxles 21 are journaled for rotation in the lower ends of the struts oruprights 24, the upper end portions of which are attached to theoutwardly disposed shoulders 16 of the arch members 14. Sprocket wheels25 are fixed to the inner end portions of the stub axles 21 adjacent theuprights 24. Bearings 26 are mounted upon the upper sides of the endportions of the beam 1, and bearings 27 are mounted upon pieces 28,which in turn are mounted at their ends upon the shoulders 16 of thearch members 14. Stub shafts 28 are ournaled for rotation in thebearings 26 and 27. Each stub shaft 28 is provided with a sprocket wheel29, and the sprocket chains 30 pass around the sprocket wheels 25 and29. Beveled pinions 31 are fixed to the inner ends of the stub shafts 28and mesh with beveled pinions 32, which are fixed to the sleeves 33. Thesleeves are retained against longitudinal movement by the flanged strips34, which are secured at their ends to the upright portions of the archmembers 14, and at their opposite ends by the strips 35, which aresecured at their ends to the shoulders 16 of the said arch members 14.The sleeves 33 are splined upon the vertically disposed shafts 36, andthe lower end portions of the said shafts 36 are journaled for rotationin the sleeves 19. The collars 37 are fixed to the shafts 36 and bearagainst the upper ends of the sleeves 19. Disk hubs 38 are fixed to thelower ends of the shafts 36 and bear against the lower ends of thesleeves 19. Steel disks 39 are concentrically mounted upon the disk hubs38. The disk 39 upon one shaft 36 overlaps the inner edge portion of thedisk 39 upon the opposite shaft 36. Collars 40 are adjustably mountedupon the upper end portions of the shafts 36. A cross-head 41 isprovided at each end with a bearing 42, and each bearing 42 receives oneof the shafts 36 and is held against longitudinal movement with relationto the said shaft by the said collars 40. The cross-head 41 lies betweenthe upper end portions of the two arch members 14. A plate 42' connectsthe upper ends of the two arch members 14 together and lies transverselywith relation to the cross-head 41. A. shaft 43 is journaled in theplate 42 and is provided with a lower threaded end which is adapted toengage the threaded bearings 44 provided upon the crosshead 41. A handwheel 45 is mounted upon the upper end of the screw-shaft 43.

From the above description it is obvious that by rotating thescrew-shaft 43, the cross-head 41 is raised or lowered as desired, andconsequently the shafts 36 will be moved longitudinally, together withthe sleeves 19, in the bearings 18 of the plates 17. Thus theoverlapping disks 39 may be raised or lowered, and means is therebyprovided for causing the same to operate at any desired distance belowthe surface of the soil, or for lifting them entirely above the surfaceof the soil. Means being thus provided for adjusting the elevation atwhich the said disks 39 may operate, it will be seen that as theimplement ,is drawn along the ground and the traction wheels 23 rotate,rotary movement is transmitted from the stub axles 21 through thesprocket wheels 25 and 29 and chains 30 to the stub shafts 28. From thesaid shafts rotary movement is transmitted through the beveled pinions31 and 32 and splined sleeves 33 to the shafts 36, and thus the disks 39are caused to rotate toward each other at their forward edge portions.Inasmuch as each disk 39 is connected up as above described with anindependent or a separate traction wheel, each disk is rotatedsimultaneously with its connected traction wheel, but there is nooperative connection between one disk and the other. By so arranging thedisks the implement may make short turns, and one traction wheel mayhave escapement without affecting the other traction wheel or the partsoperated thereby. As the implement is drawn along a row of standingplants the disks 39 are so adjusted that they will operate at a desireddistance below the surface of the soil. Thus as the said disks rotate attheir forward edge portions toward each other they will sever the stalksbelow the surface of the soil and the upper portions of the stalks willbrush un der the intermediate portions of the arch members 14, whichwill throw the upper portions of the stalks in a forward direction. Atthe same time that the stalks are bent forward, as indicated, or justprior thereto, the disks 39 will sever the stalks at the desireddistance below the surface of the soil, and consequently when the saidstalks fall in a forward direction their butt ends remain on the soiland are covered by the foliage of the stalks previously cut. Thus thestalks remain in the rows with their butt ends covered bysoil andfoliage, and are thereby protected in the manner as above indicated. Byreason of the facts that the disks 39 operate upon the stalks below thesurface of the soil,sufiicient rigidity is added to the stalks to enablethe disks 39 to out the same with a substantially transverse cut,thereby preventing splitting of the stalks and loss of sap incidentthereto.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure, by Letters Patent, is

1. A cane cutter comprising a frame, spaced arch members carried by theframe, said arch members having at intermediate points laterallydisposed shoulders, wheels supporting the frame, bearings carried by theframe and located under the shoulders of the arch members, journaledshafts slidably mounted in said bearings, means mounted upon the archmembers and operatively connected with the shafts for adjusting the sameand holding them in adjusted position, overlapping disks mounted uponthe shafts and means for rotating the said shafts.

2. A cane cutter comprising a frame, arch members carried by the frame,wheels sup porting the frame, vertically adjust-able shafts journaledfor rotation upon the arch members, a cross-head connecting the shaftstogether, means mounted upon the arch members for adjusting saidcross-head vertically, overlapping disks carried by the shafts and meansfor rotating the shafts.

3. A cane cutter comprising a frame, spaced arch members carried by theframe and having laterally disposed shoulders, wheels supporting theframe, stub axles journaled in the frame and carried by the wheels, stubshafts ournaled upon the arch members above the laterally disposedshoulders thereof, means operatively connecting the stub axles and stubshafts together, vertically disposed shafts ournaled in bearings.

located below the shoulders of the arch members, means operativelyconnecting the last said shafts with the stub shafts, overlapping diskscarried by the vertically disposed shafts, and means mounted upon thearch members for adjusting the vertical shafts and holding the same inadjusted position.

4. A cane cutter comprisng a frame made up of a U-shaped beam having itsends forwardly disposed, a platform pivotally connected with the rearportion of the said frame, wheels supporting said platform, tractionwheels supporting the forward portions of the beam, spaced arch membersmounted between the end portions of the beam, vertically adjustableshafts carried by the arch members, means mounted upon the arch membersfor adjusting the said shafts vertically, overlapping disks carried bythe said shafts, and means operatively connecting the said shafts withthe supporting wheels of the frame.

5. A cane cutter comprising a frame, spaced arch members havinglaterally disposed shoulders carried by the frame, plates fixed to thelower portions of the said arch members and having sleeves located underthe laterally disposed portions of the arch members, bearings slidablymounted in said sleeves, vertically disposed shafts journaled forrotation in said bearings, means mounted upon the arch members andconnected with the said shafts for adjusting the same, together with thebearings vertically, overlapping disks carried by the shafts, and meansoperatively connecting the said shafts with the supporting wheels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS H. BREAUD.

Witnesses THOMAS A. BADEAUX, G. J. KosLons.

